Enjoy an early morning game drive in Shaba Game Reserve, followed by a riverside breakfast against the backdrop of the Ewaso Ngiro River. Delight in this experience, as the wilderness slowly comes alive around you. After lunch we head out again on a late afternoon game drive. Wildlife roams freely between the vast protected areas of Shaba, Samburu and Buffalo Springs, all of which are situated in the tribal lands of the colourful and semi-nomadic Samburu people, who are close relatives of the Maasai.
This hot and arid region is home to a variety of wildlife some mostly found only north of the equator - including the strange gerenuk, which stands upright on its spindly hind legs to browse from trees, the large Grevy's zebra, the reticulated giraffe, beisa oryx and Somali ostrich. Crocodiles can be found in the broad Ewaso Ngiro, as well as large herds of elephants that wander along its banks. You can also hope to see lion, cheetah, Grant’s gazelle, the small dik dik and waterbuck, amongst others.
Birding is excellent with over 350 different species. Special birds to look out for include the Somali bee-eater, African pygmy falcon, Taita fiscal, black-bellied sunbird, golden-breasted starling, orange-bellied parrot, pink-breasted lark, fawn-coloured lark, Verreaux’s eagle, vulturine guineafowl, Von der Decken’s hornbill, eastern yellow-billed hornbill, northern red-billed hornbill, almost endemic Donaldson-Smith’s sparrow-weaver, black-capped social weaver, chestnut weaver and chestnut sparrow.